Kingston school district saves money by having student athletes use Citibus service

By KYLE WIND

Thursday, December 13, 2012

KINGSTON, N.Y. -- The school district is saving at least $45,000 a year by transporting high school athletes to practice on Kingston Citibuses, the district's athletic director said Wednesday.

Glenn Maisch said athletes have special decals on their student identification cards, and instead of taking a school shuttle bus to practice sites like Dietz Stadium in Uptown Kingston and M. Clifford Miller Middle School in the town of Ulster, the new collaboration with the city allows students to present their ID cards to Citibus drivers and ride to practice for free.

The district pays the city a discounted price of 50 cents per trip for about 700 student rides per season, allowing two 2:45 p.m. shuttle bus runs to be eliminated, Maisch said.

Some students also use the city's public transportation system to get home through the new initiative, which Maisch said could open after-school sports programs to more students.

"That's huge, because sometimes parents can't pick their kids up after practice," Maisch said. "That can prevent students from participating."

Toni Roser, the city's transportation director, said the collaboration has boosted ridership and could increase state operating assistance as a result.

Roser said one of the two runs is a normal "A" bus route, and the second was designed specifically to take students to practice.

Maisch said some parents were concerned about putting youths on city buses because they felt their children might encounter undesirable people. But the students "think it's great," he said.

The district is continuing to use school shuttle buses for middle school students, Maisch said.

"Our new busing structure is a great example of how collaboration can keep costs down," district Superintendent Paul Padalino said in a prepared statement. "I look forward to establishing more partnerships like these as the district continues to streamline operations in preparation for the 2013-14 budget planning cycle."